Julia Furman Campbell
" . . . Mrs. [Julia Furman] Campbell, widow of the late Dugald Campbell,
well known to most of the old settlers of the county, was buried Tuesday,
in the cemetery near Bangor - eight miles south from here. Mrs. Campbell
arrived home on Friday last from Winona, where she had been staying with
her daughter, Mrs. A. K. P. Crockett, for several weeks, and visited with
her son Hubert until quite late that night and on Saturday morning rose
early and built a fire before Hubert was up. She said she put some papers
in the stove and soon after smelled something burning but supposed it was
the papers, until the blaze from her clothing was around her face, and then
she called to Hubert and ran out doors, probably thinking that by in doing
he would get to her assistance sooner, as the stairs from the chamber
where he slept came down outside of the house, but before he could get to
her assistance and extinguish the fire she was so badly burned that she
died on Saturday night at about 11 o'clock. As soon as Hubert got the fire
out and got her into bed, he came for help as fast as the horse could
come. I happened to be out of doors at that time and he called, "Mother
has nearly burned herself up; get the folks there as soon as you can." In
three minutes time Mrs. Nye was equipped with wraps, oil, etc., and in the
street waiting for the team and Mrs. McLeod. The team was gotten ready as
soon as three of us could do it, and Merritt Halgren drove them to the
house and then went for the doctor, who came at once. Everything that
skill and kindness could do was done to relieve her. Although she said
that she felt no effects of the fire internally, yet after a while they
found blisters on her tongue and her throat was swollen badly, and it is
probable that it was more than the external burns which caused her death
so suddenly. A telegram was sent to her daughter at Winona, who received
it three hours before her husband - who came up with Mrs. Campbell got
home. Mrs. Nye received a letter from Mr. Crockett Tuesday saying that he
had found his wife entirely prostrated and not be able to come up here at
present."
From the March 3d, 1893 Detroit Record, Detroit [Lakes], Minnesota.
Submitted by Dick Campbell